


Just Don't Eat the Food

by Neko_Airie



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Deal, Fae Folk are a thing, M/M, Tommy is defiantly a fae prince
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:14:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26265559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neko_Airie/pseuds/Neko_Airie
Summary: Alfie has tried everything to deal with Italians. Now he is at wits end and turns to the only thing he can think of. The creatures of the tales his mother told him.
Relationships: Tommy Shelby/Alfie Solomons
Comments: 8
Kudos: 60
Collections: The Bakery Office





	1. The Forest

**Author's Note:**

> This sprang from a couple of things, not sure if it's going to go anywhere. Will rely on reader reactions to judge that. 
> 
> I am playing with the fact that tommy is not a gypsy but a fae in this. The idea is that the fae are known but not talked of as they are something that is feared.

He feels it first, the vibrations in his blood and bones, something primal the pulls him in, quickening his already pained steps. His feet crunch in the snow on the ground, such as it is where it has managed to fall through the thick canopy. The closer that he gets he realises that the vibrations are drums, deep and powerful pulling power from the earth and forest around him. Not for the first time in this journey he questions the sanity of his choice to pursue this path, even now he can feel doubt, but he is at his wits end. He knows that in reality he has no choice at all. Not if he wants to survive the war with the Italians.

He sees it next, a faint glow pushing through the trees in front of him, warm and inviting, like fire to a moth. And like a moth he eagerly moves towards it, the music, power and light pulling him. The closer he gets the more he sees, just beyond the trees, figures moving and the fire glittering. He pushes past the last of the trees to find that there is nothing there at all, just more snow fall and silence. He shakes his head, the snow gathered there falling about and adding the layer on the floor. Then from behind the music again, drums and singing. He turns abruptly, slate eyes piercing the darkness searching. In the distance he sees it, the fire and the figures. He starts to move again, chasing the light, chasing the warmth. 

Again, the fire is swallowed by silence and darkness, he spins wildly searching. He doesn’t know where he came from, his way out. Without the fire he is lost, everything is lost.  
“Damn you!” He hollers into the frozen air, the puff of his breath a brief register of his existence. His coat and scarf fly out as he spins, his hat is lost to the snow in his anger at being played with. He knows that’s what this is, that they like to play. “Stop with the bloody games. I came to make a deal. To bargain.” He yells into the snow now, with silence his ever-present companion. His chest heaves great lungful of freezing air as he waits for anything. He hears a voice then, flowing on the flakes of snow that he notices now are melting before they hit the ground.  
“Go Home Human, we seek no deal with your kind.” The words are hard to understand as they dance and jump like the fires from snowflake to snowflake. He takes a breath; everything had seemingly left his mind. He forces his mind into motion pulling the stories his mother use to tell him from the depth of his memory. ‘Always be Polite.’ He remembers this now. 

Reaching into his great coat he pulls a wax wrapped parcel, he holds it out before himself opening it a fraction to reveal sweet pastries. “I bring an offering and see audience with the travellers, them that have no home but, in the wind, and in the rain, in ice and in the snow, in the earth below and sky above.” He speaks the words with the same reverence he would say his prayers at the temple. There is silence, no answering voice. He thinks that this may be a lost cause and is about to return when the snow is brought from the floor by a wind. It surrounds him, intelligent and seeking as moves under his coat and shirt and against his skin. He waits for the cold but finds the wind warm and soft against his skin. He can’t help but close his eyes for a few seconds enjoying the relief that warmth offers but it’s gone as soon as it comes leaving the cold to seep in so much worse than before. With a shiver he opens his eyes, he takes a started step back and nearly drops his offering. Two small hands dart out catch the falling pasties perfectly across his palms.  
“Woah there, don’t be dropping your offering. Tamhas would not be happy.” His voice is high and melodic as he stands there, bare foot in the…. patch of flowers and green grass? Alfie rubs his eyes and looks down, yes, the boy is stood on a tiny patch of flowers and grass, not snow. Alfie looks him up and down properly now he notes the young appearance of the boy along with slight pointing to his ears and the striking nature of his eyes. It’s not what he was expecting but at this point he will take what he can get, and possibly a way out this god forsaken forest. There is a moment where the small figure inspects the offering and speaks to air around him in words Alfie doesn’t understand. There is a moment where the boy appears to be listening to something that Alfie can’t here before he nods. Then in a quick move he folds his palms together like his is trying to squash the pastries. Alfie lurches slightly with an angered sound before he notices that instead of cream, jam and pastry being a mangle mess on the boys hands the offering has vanished into thin air. The boy cocks his head to the side and looks at him questioningly.  
“Right well…I take it that this means that you, I mean your…Well the offering has been accepted. I will be expecting my audience now.” Alfie knows that he is being rude but he has bloody well had it with their games, he is here is here for a reason not to be lead on a wild goose chase around this forsaken forest.  
“That’s not fair mister. Its introductions first. My name is Finn. Who are you?” The boys asks seeming unaffected by the size of the man before him. Alfie narrows his eyes and looks down at the diminutive figure before him. He puffs his chest up with pride.  
“Well Finn my name is Al…” He narrows his eyes and looks at the tiny trusting face. He had been warned of these tricks. “You and your kind can call me The Wandering Jew.” Finn just smiles back at him, the same indulgent smile, no hint at the fact he has just been outsmarted.  
“Well Mr The Wandering Jew. You have given an offering; we are ritual bound to give you an audience.” With these words the fire light reappears before him, then another behind him, to the left and then again to the right. Fires spring to life all around him the figures with them then just like that the fires start to move, a circle around him. Close enough to feel their warmth as they start to blur into a band of light, the music starting rise in deafening volume. Alfie looks to Finn who is still stood there with the same smile. Panic rises like bile in Alfies body as the fires start to get brighter and brighter until he has to close his eyes and shield them from the blinding light.

He becomes aware that the music is back to a bearable volume and that he can hear laughing now. He opens his eyes slow and lets out a breath when the light from the fire is back to its proper and natural luminance. He looks about himself now, where there was forest of snow he now stands in the same forest in summer. The grass is green and there are flowers scattered about, the bushes that were barren are covered in sweet decadent looking berries. He looks down to where the boy was, he is still there although now he looks distinctly smug. Alfie narrows his eyes at the boy but before he can do anything the boy darts towards him dashing past barely brushing the side of his coat and vanishing into the surrounding woods. 

Abandoned Alfie looks about himself, he realises now that he is being watched, there are people stood all about the clearing. All with the same striking eyes of the boy. He looks back at them for a few moments before they seem to grow board and return to their revelry, the music having never stopped starts them dancing again. Around the fire the figures are clear now as they dance, faces tipped to the sky and goblets in hand as they twist and undulate to the beat. Attempting to ger his bearings he is forced to tears his gaze away from the hypnotic dancers to the rest of the clearing. Its filled with caravans, their doors thrown open with soft furnishing spilling out into the clearing mixing the natural pallet with bright colour and descendant fabrics. There are plates of food and pitchers of spirits scattered all tempting to him in a way he never knew was possible. Lights float and dance about him as he starts to move through the camp, the bodies of the creatures that surround him pressing into him occasionally. He sees Finn dart in a few times with laughing features. He doesn’t know where he is moving to until he stands before the largest of Caravans. 

This caravan he notes is more gaudily decorates, the inside guarded by a gauzy curtain that dances in the warm breeze, its beams glitter with gold in the firelight. He raises an eyebrow at the obvious overdone décor wondering exactly what he is going to face here. He is saved the need to do anything by the curtain moving and a figure stepping out. Words are stolen from as the figure is illuminated by the glow of the flame. His skin is pale, almost white, hair dark with features that could cut glass but all that pails in comparison to the eyes. Where all the others has some green changing brown configuration this one’s eyes are beyond blue. They are endless and cold in a way that shouldn’t be possible.  
‘I’m fucked…’ Alfie thinks to himself as he can’t break eye contact with the male. The figure descends the front steps of the caravan, his long waist coat floating about him as he moves. Alfie takes in the way that he is dressed, a pair of close fitted trousers ending in bare feet, a shirt that’s rolled as the sleeves and open at the neck. That pale neck is adorned with a few gold chains to match the bangles at his wrists. Its something out of Alfies deepest fantasies and he must pull himself together a little to stop his mind heading down that particular route.

As the figure reaches the bottom of the steps one of the delicately adorned wrist come up and twists in an elegant and pleasing manner, one of the pastries appears there. It’s then that Alfie notices the other lips, just as they close around the edge of the pastry covered in cream. He wants to step in and clean the cream with his own lips, shuddering as the other licks the cream off. He coughs roughly when the other raises an eyebrow clearly waiting for him. Shaking himself mentally he remembers why he was here.  
“Right, you must be Tomhas.” The other nods and takes another bite of his pastry.  
“Indeed although you can call me Tommy, prevent you from butchering my name any further human. And who are you to seek out the fae folk.” His voice is lightly accented and seems to be coming from many directions at once.  
“I am the Wan-“ He is cut off when Finn appears by his side over speaking him.  
“He is Alfie Solomons, of Camden Town.” Alfie looks down at the small fae with shock in his eyes till he see the fact that he has both his hat and his wallet in his hands and are offering them to Tommy. Tommy rolled his eyes.  
“Finn, give the human back his things. You know we can not obtain our knowledge that way. Not with one who seeks our assistance.” He glares at him briefly. “You are spending far too much time in their cities, learning their bad habits.” Finn puts on a pout but hands the items back all the same.  
“You used to do it too, Arthur told me.” He muttered as he stomped off sulking. Tommy glares again and with a flick of his wrist the boy is caught over the back of his head by a invisible force that makes him jump.  
“Sorry Tommy.” He calls again now before running off. 

Tommy turns his gaze back to Alfie and the man is suddenly grateful for the distraction that had been provided, it gave him time to collate his thoughts. Tommy sighs and finishes the pastry before speaking again.  
“Your name will hold no power for the fae folk. You did not give it willingly therefore it holds nothing for us. Though I will use it to address you.” The statement brings him a little piece as he had done his best to obey the rules set out.  
“I have as you so rightly said come to see the aid of the fae.” He declares as the other glides past him to sit in a pile cushions, leaning back lazily and waving a hand for the other to join him.  
“If we are to discuss business as it were, I would suggest we have a drink to ease the dialogue.” Another twist of those elegant wrists that leaves Alfie gasping and his hands are filled with a pair of clear glasses filled with spirits. He offers one up to the other. Alfie is reaching for it before he pulls himself back.  
“Apologies but I don’t imbibe alcohol. Makes fools of men I am afraid. The offer is apricated though.” Tommy shrugs with a smirk.  
“You have done research Alfie, or do you have someone that still learns the old lore.” He asks head cocked as he drinks from once glass and vanishes the other. Alfie sits down on a cushion with a groan, his sciatica is not going to forgive him this.  
“My mother, she was woman of many interests.” He murmurs as he watches the others for movement. Tommy nods sagely for a few moments before he turns his gaze on the other again.  
“Well, since you will not accept my drink and will ultimately refuse my food, I can’t not get your name as it was stolen. I would give you a gift, but it would seems that given your mothers lessons you would once again refuse. I shall just have to strike a deal with you.” He refills his glass by rubbing his thumb over the rim, the liquid appearing and rising until he stops. Aflie gives him a smile at least.  
“I have need of fae mischief to rid me of my enemies.” Fae had their own brand of mischief that in a human would be described as criminality. “I and mine have been at war with the Italians for years, in recent months the fights have become detrimental. A few that have died have been too close to home and the attacks are getting even closer.” He gives the needed information quickly to the other. Tommy tips his head back processing the question, its then that Alfie notices the lightly pointed ear and oh god he wonders how sensitive that point is. What would it be like take this fae apart from that point. 

Tommy thinks for a few seconds before smiling. “That is a very wide brief Alfie Solomons. For a man as careful as you sure you know that is giving me far to much room to have fun.” He admits to himself that there is something about this human he likes enough to give him a warning. If the man heeds him he may just like him a little more.

Alfie narrows his eyes, it’s not known for fae to give warnings, but he will take it. “London and England must still be standing whole; me, my bakery and my gang must be unharmed. What you do to the Italians I do not care as long they never bother mine or me again.” He gives the other a smirk.  
“Not bad Mr Solomons. Very specific.” He admits although for a fae still far too many loop holes, trickery than lawyers were fae.  
“And If I solve this problem for you. In my unique way. What do I get from this? It’s not a deal without exchange.” Alfie swallows hard, the faes voice had dropped a couple of octaves and gained that thousand tone quality again. Tommy sat up a little and steepled his fingers together, Alfie notices how long there are in that moment. With his mind on the fingers he speaks without speaking.  
“What do you want?” Tommy sits up now, his grin starts to grow, teeth exposed and Alfie notes the canines seem a little more pointed than is normal. His eyes brighten in a way that Alfie didn’t think was possible as well.. Then he realises his mistake and it’s too late to pull it back now.  
“What do I want? Oh Mr Solomon’s that is a question. What do I want?” He sounds nearly gleeful now as he unclasps his hands long enough to wave a couple of fingers. The air gives a slight pop and then around one of Alfies fingers a ring appears. He instinctively tried to remove it only to find that his grip slips every time.  
“A sign of out contact. I accept your terms. You shall find your Italian problem gone by weeks end.” Alfie starts protesting, his fear and anger spiking in equal measure as the idea of a fae contact actually on him sinks in.  
“What terms! You never gave me your terms.” He demands as he still tried to pull the ring off. Tommy just shakes his head beginning to stand. “What I wanted, what I wanted was for you to owe me Mr Solomon’s and for me to collect when it suites me.” Aflie is about to protest again when the fire flashes like before and he is again forced to shield his eyes.

He is aware of the cold again now, pulling his hand from his eyes he is face now not with the warm fire or the summer. He is looking out at the snow and the frozen field where he had parked his car, he can see it in the distance. He checks for the fires but find nothing as expected.  
“At least I am out of that godforsaken forest.” He breaths to the silent snow still falling as he stalks towards his car. He can’t help but look down at his hand where the ring sit, he notes the small stone in the centre is the same as Tommys eyes.


	2. Well he didn't check the barrels.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy delivers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have continued this as I think I have a plan for the plot for the next few chapters but as always your input is greatly received and keeps me going.

It had been three days since Alfie had made the deal and he hadn’t had a goodnight sleep since. The Fae bastard had been in his dreams, every one of them and he was not happy about it. It was always the eyes that appeared first, that crystal blue the shot through his mind and everything else appeared from there like some demented Cheshire cat. As a result, he became more like a bear with a sore everything when he was awake.

Ollie trotted behind Alfie as he lumbered though the Bakery, the normal hustle and bustle has been hushed by the lack of people as most of his workers had managed to avoid him like the plague. Ollie stuttered about the latest shipments and the fact that Italians had stolen a good portion of it during the transit. The smaller man jumped a little when Alfie kicked a barrel as he passed whilst cursing violently in Yiddish.   
“Alfie…” Ollie stuttered as he tried to keep up with the larger man. Alfie glared at him as he looked over at the other. They were nearing the office now, not that Ollie thought that would get him any respite from Alfie anger but at least he could sit down for it. 

Alfie strode up to the door pushing it open violently, the glass vibrating in its wooden frame. He was mid-sentence as he entered the office, freezing on the threshold with a growl at the back of his throat. Ollie peering around him fumbled to pull out his gun and get into the office in front of Alfie.  
“Who the fuck are you? And how did you get in here?” He demanded of the figure before Alfie’s great hand came up and pushed the gun down.   
“Calm down Ollie, he’s not a threat.” At least he wanted that to be true. “This is Tommy. Although given the deal and the lack of movement on said deal, I might let you shoot him all the same.” He added as he moved again and entered the office dropping his cane down the side of the nearest chair.   
“Why are you here Tamhas.” He deliberately butchered the others name deliberately in a childish dig at the fae. Blue eyes flashed open as the fae glared at him.   
“We have a deal, and I told you that you will call me Tommy. Human voices always butcher fae names.” He has the same haughty smile as he always did. Alfie stood in front of the fae, who was incidentally sat on the others desk, legs hanging over the side in those tight pants and bare feet again. Alfie takes in the rest of, the addition of a coat over the shirt was a pleasing sight.   
“Ah yes, Right, the deal. The one where you agreed to take care of the Italians and yet today, I lost another shipment of my product.” He groused, he always knew that dealing with the fae was dangerous and the outcome not certain, but he still had thought it might work.  
“Ah yes, that wonderful shipment of rum, Arthur did enjoy drinking the barrel. The rest should be reaching its destination about now.” Alfie narrows his eyes for a fraction of a second before the phone begins to ring. Alfie waves a hand at Ollie, who skirts his way around the fae perched on the desk and answers the phone.  
“Yes…..what do you mean….yes….you received it……payment due then….it was another shipment not yours that went missing” The conversation was over quickly, Ollie putting the phone down and just staring at the fae with barely disguised fear and panic. Alfie on the other hand was suspicious, he eyes the others interest as well though.   
“What did you do?” He isn’t sure that he really wants to know but listening to that voice on the other hand is something that he wants desperately.   
“Well, I did consider just outright blowing that lovely rum sky high the second that it touched an Italian warehouse. But that didn’t seem all that fun, so I switched it.” He hummed with that thousand tone voice. “You know the rules. What happens when you drink fey wine?” He looks at Alfie twisting his left-hand letting goblet appear for point and drinking the contents down. Alfie took the bait.   
“Well, if me Ma was right. Fey food and wine will trap you in your lovely realm. So, you switched it out with the rum. Me Ma also said you had to drink willingly.” He added with the conspiratorial whisper.   
“Well, he willingly stole the barrels. Not my fault they didn’t check what they were stealing. The Changretta Gang are currently guests of my cousins in the Black Country Court of Fae. And will be for the next few hundred years at least. What’s left of the gang will scatter to the four winds and one fell swoop I have as promised removed the Italians as issue for you.” He punctuated the sentence with materialising a cigarette, placing it in his lips it seemed to light all on its own, the tip glowing purple with blue smoke. Alfie blinked at it for a second confused then deciding that it wasn’t worth the brain power. Ollie in the corner of the room was shifting with anxiety, each new evidence if the faes nature making him more and more twitchy.  
“Alfie, I think your…pet…has an issue with me. Or my kind.” In a small concession to the other that cigarette starts glowing the usual orange and produces white grey whisps of smoke and his voice becomes just a melodic human baritone. Ollie doesn’t take the change kindly and bounces up from the seat again, his gun coming up and waving at the fae. Tommy raised his eyes brows at him in mild surprise, mostly for the fact that he actually had moved most humans just froze in their fear. Alfie looked at him, eyes narrowing in distrust and calculation of threat.  
“Ollie boy, what you doing? The mans solved our problem. Put the gun down.” He said with a measured tone aiming to be calming.   
“Alfie, he’s a fucking Fae. They can’t be trusted. You know that.” His voice quivers with maddened fear. “Whatever he asked from you it’s going to be worse. Their tricky like that. Alfie let me shoot him. We got what we need.” He waved the gun more erratically. Alfie shook his head down at the other, a hand coming up slowly ready to grab the gun.  
“Not gonna let you kill him, even just for the trouble that will come from the rest of the clan. He’s the bloody head of the clan. Kill him and we have more problems than the bloody Italians could cause.” Tommy moved a hand to put his cigarette out, Ollie noticed and waved the gun violently, there was a flash and the muzzle of the gun jerked as it went off.  
Alfie yelled pushing the gun away violently as he did so. It was a split second of excitement that finished in silence, at least it would if not for the hum of a brightly coloured pair of wings near the ceiling.   
Alfie looked up at the roof to see Tommy hovering? Yeah he was definitely hovering. On a pair of wings that were seemingly beating too fast to see, that or they were only half in this reality. He looked beyond livid as well. His lips were pulled back in a feral snarl, teeth gnashing together and eyes blazing like blue flames. Ollie had dropped the gun now as Alfie wrestled the boy up and out the room screaming at him to fuck off before slamming the door and looking up at the fae prince with barely concealed panic.   
“Look, Tommy, Treacle-” He froze at the pet name that slipped out and waited for his head or something else to explode “I…Tamhas” He actually attempted to put his best pronunciation. “Ollie he’s jittery on the best of days…. right. I keep around as a favour to his mother, a bit nut…” He trailed off from the rambling placation as the Fae started to descend from the ceiling back to the desk with a now slightly pained expression. Alfie stepped forwards to the other but was pushed back by a wave of warm wind and the accompanying hiss from the angry fae. Tommy moved down onto the desk and sat back on the edge of the desk, the wings on his back stilling. Alfie was entranced by the colours there, they seemed to be paper thin and completely transparent. The colour shifted in the light of the office as they twitched and shifted in the air.   
“Stay the fuck away from me.” He hisses as he looked over at the human, as his heart pounded. “Give me one good reason that I shouldn’t suck this entire place to my Court and wipe you from the face of the earth.” He hissed as he reorganized his clothes and summoned another drink to settled himself. Alfie scrubbed a hand over his face.  
“Look mate……” He was distracted by a twitch. After a moment, his shoulders seemed to shiver and he frowned, they shivered again and this time he turned to look at his wings.   
“Your wing is damaged.” Alfie managed to say after a moment, this was just more bad news there was shooting at the fae and then there was shooting and hitting him. Tommy shot him a glare.  
“I know that. Its why you can still fucking see them.” He hissed as pulled the tip of the wing round and inspected the edge of the damage. “Fuck…” The fae was touching the edge of the wound before turning his attention viciously on Alfie. “I’m fucking stuck. You know that. I am fucking stuck on this fae forsaken plane until this heals thanks to your fucking pet.” He was starting to yell now, those pointed teeth becoming more and more apparent as he yelled more. “I can’t fucking enter my Court with this-” He gestures violently at the damage to the wing. Alfie raised his hands and looked at him and trying to find something to say that would calm the fae down. It looked like the bullet had gone through the lining and a few of the tendons making the top edge drop in a way that made even Alfie sad for the fae.   
“It can heal though right?” Even he winces as the dumb nature of the question, the fae would have already killed him if it weren’t. Tommy took that chance to hiss something in what Alfie could only assume was cruel even if it was in a language that wasn’t any of the three he knows. “Right…right…dumb fucking question.” He muttered as he moved to the liquor cabinet at the side of the door and poured himself a drink that he knocked back quickly. He watched the fae as anger started to turn to barely concealed panic at his situation. The wings were twitching worse and worse now as the tremors that started in hands worked to his shoulder and then to the wings.  
“I’m fucking stuck here…” He muttered with panic lacing the edge. Alfie chose his moment to step closer and reached out.  
“Alright Tommy, gonna need you to take a deep breath. That panic ain’t gonna help now.” He attempted to sooth the other. “We can get whatever you need to heal properly. And you can stay with me at me town house.” Tommy head shot up as he looked at him.   
“You don’t get it. I am stuck. I have no access to the court to pull my power from. I have the residual and that is it. You dumb fuck” Alfie swallowed, recognized panic lashing out when he seen it.   
“Right, your power… right. Another dumb question probably but, does that effect you like…. food. Like food right yeah. You starve and die without food. You’re not going to wither away without your power, are you?” This question his asked with his own hint of worry as this might be more of a problem than just a damaged wing. Tommy shook his head. “As long as I don’t use my power to the point of running out no. I shouldn’t do. I need to …. Damn! I can’t do that either.” He cussed as he realised that he couldn’t even contact his court now. Alfie looked at him confused.  
“What is it?” He asked, he was edging closer with each comment.   
“I can’t get the healing items I need now, without my connection to the Realm. No flow of power, no way to pull them through.” He couldn’t help the panic now, the more the realisation that he was cut off the more his panic set in and it manifested in anger and spiteful comments. Alfie frowned at the comment.  
“You keep pulling out the wine from somewhere?” The ma asked dumbly, not really considering that at this moment it was a unwelcome question. Tommy groaned and hissed angrily again.  
“I create that with the power. You can’t just create the items I would need. I’ll have to use human materials.” He spat standing of the desk and pushing his wings down with his hands after they refused to lay flat against his back. He looked about the room quickly before spotting the Tallit Alfie was wearing. “Give me the scarf thing.” He demanded waving a hand at the fabric. Alfie’s hand came up to the items of clothing and pulled it off after a moment. Tommy snatched it of his hand and used it to bind the wings down with a wince of pain at the unnatural angle that he was forced to have them at.   
“Why are you doing that?” Alfie asked as he watched the other pull his coat over the bound wings. He admitted that if he didn’t know that they were there the change wouldn’t be noticeable. Tommy rolled his eyes.  
“I am not walking through your establishment, let alone your great London with my wings out and damaged. Now hurry up and show me where I will be residing. I need to take care of that before the damage is permanent. And I am going to need you help with that. As much as it begrudges me to admit.” This did pull his attention back from the pain the other was in.   
“You mean I get to touch them Treacle.” He asked before getting control of his mouth. Tommy didn’t deign to answer him but waved his hand at the door in an impatient gesture. “Well then, Right this way Treacle.”


	3. Deals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Treatment is more than Tommy plans on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for anyone still reading this. Special mention to RunnerUp. Anyone got any guesses as to the visitor.

Alfie liked his car, the high-end Rolls was bought at a steal really, police auction and it was dead nice once Ollie found someone to get the blood stains out. But at this moment he cursed the thing to hell and back. The seats weren’t soft enough and they suspension wasn’t going to compensate for the cobbles and potholes of the beaten London streets.  
Thanks to Alfie’s notable bad mood from before and the sound of gun fire the bakery was essentially empty and the few that were hanging around were pointedly seeing and hearing absolutely nothing at all. No one had seen Tommy enter and luckily no one would see him leave. Alfie led the other through the corridors, using a hand on the others lower back to steer him when he strayed. He wasn’t concerned that the other would see his operation just that the fae appeared to be attempting hide the pain that he was in despite that fact it was compromising his mental processes.  
In the overcast streets Alfie directed the fae towards the car, pulling open the back door and waving the driver off with a glare. He offered a hand to the fae to assist in entering the car and considered the premium leather interior and seating.  
“Know it’s beyond undignified mate but the floor might be your best bet.” He offered after a moment and pulled his great coat off laying it down. “You can lay on your side and keep pressure off the … wound.” Tommy considered the issue of indignity and pain before carefully taking the others hand and laying down on the offered coat with a wince. Alfie closed the door and strode round the back of the vehicle to get in the driver’s side, his fingers flexing as he concentrated on the feeling to the faes fingers. Delicate and strong at the same time. Starting the car, he moved off from the curb and into the road driving as carefully as possible. Even with the care he could feel the hitches of breath and pain from the back as the car bumped over cobbles that were unavoidable. “Sorry mate, bet your not used to cars all that much.” He spoke just to hear a sound other than the fae in the back seat.  
“Fae portals are smoother.” There was another bump and another pained groan. “And quicker. How much longer?” Alfie could hear the smirk in the others voice, even though the pain.  
“Another couple of streets, Swear Treacle.” He promised as he turned the car with as much care as possible. Tommy groaned and rubbed his face from his position on the floor and pressed his face into the coat. 

When the car finally pulled up to the house Alfie hopped out first, with a quick word to Tommy to get him to wait in the car he headed into the town house.  
“Edna?” He called out as he crossed the threshold of the doorway. The older woman pushed her head out of a doorway and looked at her master. She was an old woman, but the work had kept her young at heart. Her white hair was wrapped up on her head and tied under a head scarf to keep it out the way. She waited for a few moments for Alfie to speak. “Yes, right. Need all the medical supplies you have in the house brought to the kitchen, then need you to make yourself scarce.” He explained with a nod as he hung up his hat. Edna rolled her eyes and came fully into the corridor.  
“Know how to put fae back together do you. Better bring him in. Let me get a look at him.” She declared wiping her hands on her apron and giving him an appraising look. Alfie blinked at his housekeeper like she had grown a second head. “The ring on your hand, a fae contact mark. Noticed it as soon you wore it home. Only thing you wouldn’t just bring in her would be a fae.” She declared with a few seconds of silence for effect. “Given that Ollie is about as jumpy as a jack rabbit around anything fae related reckon he’s done something stupid.” Alfie blinked a few more times for once lost for words at the older women’s words. He made a few vague had gestures before shaking his head. He just decided to accept what he couldn’t explain. He turned and headed back out to the car to collect Tommy. 

Alfie helped Tommy get vertical again and out the car. The fae was looking a little green around the pointed ears now.  
“Mate, you’re going downhill. You gonna make it to the house?” Alfie asked a little concerned as the fae seemingly needed more and more support. Tommy shook his head taking a few steps towards the house making it clear he wanted to get out the street. “Okay mate, give me a moment.” He said practically lifting the fae. “God your light.” He muttered as he moved him up the stairs and into the house. Edna was already in the kitchen and making a lot of noise as she moved around pots banging and clattering. Tommy froze and started to put up as much fight as he could manage. “It’s Edna, just Edna. My housekeeper.” Alfie assured him as he held him tighter to get him into the kitchen. 

The kitchen was bright and warm ad Alfe entered. The chairs had been pushed away from the table and stacked in a corner. That he understood. It was the dog basket full of all his iron pots and pans that was confusing. “You wanna explain that?” He asked nodding his head at the woman as he put Tommy on the clearly indicate part of the table.  
“Needed to boil water, had to find something not made of iron. Don’t need poison on top of the…” She waited to be filled in.  
“Gun shot to the wing.” Alfie explained as he sat the other up right and helped him pull the coat off of and undo the prayer scarf. Tommy gripped the edges of the table as his wings peeled away from his body, they seemed to have stuck slightly to the shirt he was wearing.  
“That needs to come off too.” Edna stated as she gestured to the shirt. Alfie started to move but Tommy raised a hand.  
“Why should I be listening to the old woman?” He asked through clenched teeth, the wings moving and stilling again as he winced in pain. Alfie was about to jump to his house keepers defence when Edna raised her hands.  
“Fair question. I made a deal once with one of your kind, in trade I was to give my assistance to all fae that requested, or I knew needed it.” She stated. “May even have made it with one or your court Tamhas.” She added as she waited at the other processed this information.  
“Sounds like Polly you made they deal with.” He added after a moment of thought and then nodded. “Fine. I will ascent to your assistance.” He turned slightly as he gave the other access to his back and the wings mounted in it. Edna inspected the wound first making a few observations in Hebrew before turning back to the boiling pot of water.  
“No wonder he’s looking a little green, gone through one of the main veins of his wing. Seared the edges too with the heat of the bullet to meaning its going to be a problem to heal.” She started to heat a small blade on the fire. “Going to have to clear the edges of the wound from the burn, then we can start getting it to heal, fae healing will help cut the time in half. Still looking at a couple of weeks at least.” She declares as he mixes something a small brass pestle and mortar and starts to add water. “I have a little Lobelia, Vervain and Althea. Dried so not as potent but still should provide some pain relief.” Tommy raised an eyebrow at her in mild surprise before taking the glass she offered and knocking it back before grimacing. He was about to comment to Alfie about the woman when she used his momentary distraction to put the water cooled knife to work with a quick flick of her wrist she removed the damage tissue from the edge of the wound. Tommy let out a violent yell and jerked. The entire room shook as a power surge from the fae pushed through everything, cups smashed, and plate came down to the floor in a rain of china. Tommy spun where he sat a hand lashing out, but Edna was already out of the way of the and had dropped the knife.  
“It’s done. I’m done. Had to make sure you won’t try to phase your wings back to the court with out meaning to.” She explained once Tommy had stopped snarling and muttering threats in every language he knew.  
“Polly, definitely made the deal with Polly. Only she would set a woman like you on the unsuspecting fae folk in the world.” He declared viciously as he rubbed his face from sweat, even now te room was still subtly vibrating. Alfie darted around faster than his bulk indicated he could and started to put china in the sink so it couldn’t vibrate off the surfaces.  
“Would you cut that out mate. I don’t have much china. Can’t have you destroying it all.” Tommy looked over at him and blinked a few times before the vibrating stopped. “Thought you couldn’t spare the power.” He added after a moment.  
“I can’t.” He muttered as he slumped forwards onto his elbows. “Well, are you going to do more than just make the hole bigger and cause me more pain.” He demanded like a petulant child twisting a little to try and see his wing again. Edna rolled her eyes.  
“If you give half a chance Tamhas I would get to it but you were to busy destroying china.” She grouched as she started to mix another paste of different plants this time. “Tamhas. Know you don’t have a connection to the court but I need your power to make this any kind of useful. Shouldn’t take much.” She added the last bit when Alfie glared at her. Tommy nodded, rubbing long fingers together. If he had a fuel gauge, then he would be in the red right now.  
“Better not take much.” He muttered as he looked at the paste, he had seen it before, used plenty of times on Finns skinned knees. He pushed a little of the power in and shivered as he ran a little colder. “That’s it. Running on empty.” He declared as the ends of his fingers went numb. Alfie looked panic as the fae rubbed at the ends of fingers. Edna gave the fae a concerned look.  
“Okay Tamhas.” She murmured and pushed the paste onto two gauze patches and put them over the hole. Tommy cried out and quivered as she did. “That’s it. I’m done, its all on your healing now.” Edna stepped back and started to clear everything away that she had used. 

Alfie stepped forwards.  
“He looks peaky. Is he supposed to look peaky. What about the empty thing? That’s not good right?” He was full of questions and the worry made him string the questions together. He added a few wild hand gestures and odd sounds for effect. Edna looks at him and rolls her eyes  
“I have just put a knife through his wing and added a caustic paste. He’s going to be looking a little peaky from that. As for running empty… that I am not sure about. It’s definitely not good” Tommy picks that moment to try and stand up, his legs have an issue with this fact and give out beneath him. Alfie is close enough that he can catch him around the waist and holds him up.  
“Okay Treacle. Bed I think is the best for you.” He declares hoists the other up and into his arms. Careful of the wings he carries the other up the stairs and into the larger master bedroom. Edna follows with hot water bottles and blankets.  
“Lay him on his side. I can pack these round him. Running on empty is going to make him feel like he’s freezing.” She pulled the covers back and helped Alfie position the fae with his wings down on the mattress, supported on a pillow. She packed the fae in with hot water bottles and pulled the covers over him. 

Edna stepped out of the room and back down the stairs. Alfie could take it from here and she had to find some food the fae could actually eat. She entered the kitchen and stopped. In the middle of the room holding the knife was another Fae. That much was obvious. The pitch-black hair and wild emerald eyes. Her dress was floating in non-existent breeze.  
“Where is Tamhas?” She demanded. “What did you do to him?” She brandished the knife as both evidence and weapon.  
“Only what I agreed when I made the contact with you.” Edna stated worried.  
“We can’t contact him, and he’s not connected to the court. Where is he?” The fae flitted off the floor with agitation. Edna pointed upstairs.  
“He’s got no power left.” She tried to explain but this was to thin air as the fae was already gone.


End file.
